news ALBERT SCOPIN “Chelsea Hotel 1969–1971”: Rediscovered photographs between Patti Smith and the Warhol crowd

The Chelsea Hotel has been an iconic hub of the art and music scene since the 1960s. Between 1969 and 1971, Albert Scopin lived there while assisting photographers Mikel Avedon and Bill King. Using a simple Kodak Instamatic, he captured life inside the hotel – direct, unposed, and often without even looking through the viewfinder.

Now, the works are being presented comprehensively for the first time: the FWR Galerie Berlin shows around 30 photographs alongside the release of a book dedicated to the series. Exhibition and publication offer a rare glimpse into the Chelsea Hotel of those years – raw, intimate, and full of energy.

Scopin’s images portray a generation on the rise, including a young Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as filmmakers such as Wim Wenders, Rosa von Praunheim, Miloš Forman, and Jonas Mekas. They show the Warhol crowd staging a play, staff parties in the basement, and quiet moments on the rooftop overlooking a city waiting to be conquered. Short texts... more